Ethiopia has again been listed among African countries ineligible for accessing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) despite recent efforts by the East African nation to rejoin the special trade arrangement.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on Tuesday that the list of African countries eligible for AGOA would remain unchanged for the upcoming fiscal year, preserving the agreement’s benefits for 32 eligible African countries.
The announcement confirmed that Ethiopia, which has been bidding to rejoin AGOA, has once again failed.
Despite discussions with US trade officials in July to explore potential amendments to AGOA, the latest decision leaves Ethiopia’s suspension intact.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in November 2021 removing Ethiopia from AGOA following the escalation of the war, which started a year earlier and witnessed “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
The decision had led to several foreign companies operating in Ethiopia’s industrial parks closing shop and leaving Ethiopia as they had primarily targeted Ethiopia due to its eligibility for AGOA.
Ethiopia described the decision as “misguided” and said it “fails to take into account the commitment of the Government of the United States to value the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.”
Ethiopia also argued the decision affects “the livelihoods of more than 200,000 low-income households mostly, women who have got nothing to do with the conflict.”
MG/jn/APA